Wire-fence tool



Jan. 11,1927. 1,613.811] B. L. COLEMAN fwIRE FENCE IToor.

Filed Apil e. 1925 Snom/vio@ Patented Jan. 11, 192.7.

Unirse. STATES BERNARD L. COLEMAN, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK. y

WIRE-FENCE TOOL.

Application filed A'pril 6, 1925. .Serial'Nol 21,128.

The' object of this invention is to provide a simple tool for use in therepair of woven and similar types of wire-fences, the tool being adaptedfor use either in tightening and splicing broken line wires in the fenceor Jfor tightening line wires which are` not broken, as more fullyhereinafter set forth.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tool co1n plete;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation ofthe mandrel Figs. 4t and 5 areviews showing the manner of using the tool;

Fig. 6 is a view of rangement.

rIlhe tool consists of a 4crank-handle `or brace 10 having at one end aswivel eye 11 for convenience in hanging it on the belt of the workmanand having at its other end a transverse pin 12 extending through thecylindrical part of the crank at a short distance from its end. Thecylindrical end carrying the pin 12is adapted to to lit into acylindrical socket 13 attached by means of a pin 14 to a rod 15, theseparts constituting the mandrel. The socket-end or mandrel is providedwith longitudinally-extending notches 16, one at each side of thesocket.

a modified socket ar- These notches 16 receive the opposite ends of thepin 12 and thus prevent the mandrel having rotation independently of thehandle. The rod part of the mandrel is provided with a transverse hole17 at a point near the socket, and at its outer end it is provided withanother hole 18. This outer end of the rod is also provided with alongitudinal notch 19. To removably lock the handle in the socket, Iprovide a detent consisting of a spring-actuated ba1l.20 mounted in atransverse socket in the handle-end and adapted when the handle-end isthrust into the socket to automatically snap into an annular groove 20formed in the interior of the socket 13. With a detent of thischaracter, it will be seen that the handle may be forced into the socketand, by the exertion of a little force, withdrawn therefrom, and thatthis lock is suiiiciently strong to hold the mandrel of the handle untilit is removed therefrom by a special effort. I make this groove 20annular in the mandrel socket in order to avoid the trouble of selectingthermanner inv which the handle-end shall be thrust into the socket. Y f

Referring to Fig. 4, in `tightening and splicinga broken line wire inthe fence, a loop 21 is first made on one of the loose ends of thefence-wire. A supplementary piece of wire 22, either single or double,is attached to the other end of the broken wire, and the free end ofthis splicing wire 22 is passed through the eye 21 and then insertedthrough the hole .17 or the hole 18. The mandrel is then rotated bymeans of the handle to coil the splicing wire upon the rod of themandrel, as shown in Fig. 4, until the desired tautness is obtained. Thetool is then twisted to cause a bite that will hold the wire againstuncoiling; then the handle is withdrawn from the mandrel and laid aside;then the mandrel may be carried bodily around and around the splicingwire to wrap thereon the wire that was previouslv coiled on the rod ofthe mandrel. The object in making the mandrel detachable is to render itconvenient for bodily rotating the mandrel during the final twistingaction. In some cases, it is imperative to remove the handle, as thespaces between the wires of the fence are not sufficient to enable thelanldle to be bodily rotated with the man- I have described one way ofusing my tool, but it will be understood that other uses may be availedof. In tightening an unbroken line wire of the fence, the notch 19 andthe hole 18 are desirably used. In thus tightening an unbroken wire of afence, I first take a supplementary piece of wire and attach it to thefence wire on the other side o'f the post from which the tool is to beused. This supplementary piece of wire is passed back of the post andthen through the slot 19 or hole 18 in the mandrel; and I'thissupplementary wire is tightened by revolving the bow-shaped handle in anapproximately vertical position, thus tightening the fence-wire. When asatisfactory tension has been obtained, the tool is shifted to ahorizontal position, which causes the supplementary wire to bite or bindby being bent at right angles to the wire of the fence.V InV thisposition, the crank is no longer needed to prevent the wire fromunwinding from the mandrel-rod and the handle may be snapped out of themandrel; then the mandrel may be bodily rotated for the purpose oftwisting the `free end of the supplementary wire which was previouslywound upon the mandrel.

I have shown the end of the shank that fits into the socket 13 to becylindrical in shape, but-it will be understood that this shank may haveany other desirable crosssection without departing from the invention.It will be understood also that I may vary the manner of looking theshank 1n the socket; for instance7 as shown m Fig. 6, I

show the socket 13 attached to the shank of the handle rather than tothe mandrel,

and in place of the pin-and-slot arrangement shown in Fig. 3, I haveshown a flat lug 12 on the end of the shank 10 which fits into asimilarly-shaped notch in the adjacent end of the mandrel.

TWhat I claim as new is:

A tool of the class set forth embodying a handle and a mandrel and meansfor detachably connecting the same, said means embodying a transversepin carried by one end of the handle, a spring-actuated ball detentcarried by the handle, and a socket adapted to receive the end of thehandle and provided with opposite notches for receiving the ends of saidpin, said socket being also provided interiorly with an internal annulargroove located between the outer end of the socket and the bottoms ofthe notches.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailiX my signature.

BERNARD L. COLEMAN.

